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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 20: [Harmonizing with the World]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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In the dim light of early night, Qin Ming, carrying the long-handled Black Gold Hammer and a short sword, moved through the forest with the speed of a whirlwind, as if about to lift off the ground.
He felt a sense of urgency.
The nobles from Chi Xia City had arrived, and once they ventured into the mountains, they would undoubtedly begin searching for various spiritual materials.
He couldn't let them beat him to the Blood Bamboo Forest, for it held the key to his Second Awakening.
As the night mist dissipated, the forest remained dimly lit, but his keen eyesight allowed him to clearly see the distant scenery.
"The Blood Bamboo Forest won't be easy to enter. There's bound to be danger."
"Otherwise, Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng would have already taken action. Why wait until death to leave behind regrets?"
"I'm being too impulsive."
Icy snowflakes drifted onto his body, some even slipping down his neck. The chill gradually calmed Qin Ming.
His frantic rush just now was no different from Old Liu's desperate scramble last night, as if he wished he had wings to fly into the Blood Bamboo Forest and snatch up frozen blood snakes.
"Calm your mind," Qin Ming slowed his pace, adjusting his breathing in the mountain forest.
It's just a Second Awakening.
Even without spiritual substances, his own natural abilities would allow him to break through.
"An unsettled mind is prone to mistakes." Qin Ming trudged through the thick snow, his pace steady and unhurried.
Gradually, he grew calmer and more composed.
The Blood Bamboo Forest must be extremely dangerous.
The fact that even the Mountain Patrol Group hesitated to act, despite the presence of a Second Awakening cultivator like Fu Entao, was enough to prove the point.
Qin Ming moved silently through the dense forest, finally digging up the sword manual from a hidden spot.
The ancient leather pages were curled at the edges and heavily worn, indicating frequent use in the past.
The book wasn't thick, but it exuded a profound sense of antiquity.
Qin Ming wondered where Fu Entao had obtained it.
"To read the crystallized efforts of those who came before, and to calm my own heart," Qin Ming murmured as he sat down in the forest clearing.
Moments later, he was completely absorbed, his entire being immersed in the book.
Unconsciously, he rose from the snow, holding the leather-bound manual in one hand and gripping the long-handled Black Gold Hammer in the other, swinging it like a sword.
This was originally a heavy weapon, but in his hands it moved with the lightness of a wooden mallet, wielded casually.
Gradually, a sense of effortless grace and natural beauty emerged from his movements.
To achieve Awakening, one must cultivate corresponding scriptures, such as the Black Night Meditation Technique and Intent Qi Cultivation Techniques, to enhance physical attributes like strength, flexibility, and speed.
Combat Techniques, on the other hand, are techniques that utilize one's physical strength and speed to achieve efficient offensive strikes.
Qin Ming possessed exceptional physical prowess, surpassing the Golden Foundation level.
However, his combat techniques lacked systematic training, consisting mostly of practical, improvised moves.
Some originated from the Unorthodox Awakening Technique he had practiced for years, derived from its unique movements.
Others he had learned from veteran hunters in his village.
His combat skills were honed through years of survival in the wilderness.
The forest at night was a dangerous place.
Hunting in such an environment meant facing attacks from ferocious birds and beasts.
Even a split-second delay in reaction could mean death.
Though his techniques were largely improvised, even bordering on the crude, their lethality was undeniable.
His life-or-death struggles with wild beasts followed no rules, relying solely on strength, speed, and adaptability.
This was precisely why Fu Entao found him so formidable.
Qin Ming's attacks defied predictability, leaving no trace of any set pattern.
As Qin Ming read the sword manual, he combined his experiences from battling fierce beasts, his insights gained from facing life-or-death situations, and his deep understanding of the text.
He became completely engrossed, unconsciously holding the book in one hand and the hammer in the other, constantly modifying his "sword stances" based on his comprehension.
Qin Ming absorbed the wisdom of the predecessors recorded in the sword manual.
When he reached a peak of understanding, he increased the force of his movements.
Although there was no actual sword.
Instead, a palpable sword intent permeated the air, causing the snow on the ground to swirl upward.
The long-handled Black Gold Hammer transformed into a bolt of lightning, shattering the forest's tranquility.
He "swung his sword" at a massive tree.
In an instant, the thick trunk exploded into splinters.
The sheer violence of the "slash" was overwhelming.
Nearby, several strange creatures that had been eyeing him warily from the shadows for a long time were terrified into fleeing with their tails between their legs.
Among them was a mutated black tiger, over four meters long, which turned tail and ran.
"Still daring to spy here? Not leaving, are you?" Qin Ming noticed a human-faced vulture, far larger than its kind, circling just twenty meters above the forest floor, clinging to the trees and refusing to depart.
Having just grasped the "Sword-Throwing Stance" from the sword manual, Qin Ming immediately put it into practice.
His heavy "Hammer Sword" vanished into the night, soaring high into the sky.
"Pfft!"
Blood splattered mid-air as feathers rained down.
The mutated human-faced vulture, with wings spanning several meters, had been fiercely menacing.
Now, it was as fragile as porcelain, shattered by Qin Ming's "Sword-Throwing Stance"!
With a thousand-jin force in his arms, the outcome was never in doubt. The long-handled Black Gold Hammer smashed the massive beast, leaving it unrecognizable.
Chunks of flesh and scattered feathers rained down to the ground.
Some of the otherwordly creatures watching from afar immediately fled, sensing the two-legged human was exceptionally brutal.
They had to get away from him — this area was no longer safe.
"Excellent sword technique!" Qin Ming exclaimed, lifting the long-handled Black Gold Hammer and practicing the stance again.
This sword manual was like a beacon in the night fog, illuminating his path. It integrated his practical combat experience and unorthodox technique, rapidly elevating his skills.
Qin Ming became completely engrossed, losing himself in the practice.
He was utterly captivated, unable to break free.
Qin Ming practiced all the sword stances from beginning to end.
While he hadn't achieved complete enlightenment, his combat skills had undoubtedly improved, and his overall strength had increased significantly.
This sword manual was truly worth studying, leaving him deeply enlightened and of immense value!
"If Fu Entao had mastered this sword manual, he'll had become a real problem," Qin Ming muttered to himself.
However, if Fu Entao could fully comprehend the book, he wouldn't have remained stuck at Second Awakening.
This wasn't just a sword manual; it also contained research on the Awakening Technique, which greatly inspired Qin Ming.
For example, the book mentioned "Heavenly Light," which first manifests during the Third Awakening Stage but will permeate the entire Awakening Domain.
Even after reaching Awakening perfection, one cannot escape the need for in-depth study of Heavenly Light.
In an era where the sun had vanished, Heavenly Light embodied humanity's deepest hopes and boundless aspirations.
The Heavenly Light described in the manual wasn't the celestial radiance people yearned for, but an inner light within the body, imbued with a beautiful name.
After a person undergoes their Third Awakening, this "Heavenly Light" will begin to manifest, originating within the body — a sign of a fundamental shift in life's essence.
At this stage, Awakeners experience a significant surge in power, enabling them to contend with various dangerous mutated creatures with their bare hands.
This transformation is entirely attributed to the Heavenly Light.
Once the Heavenly Light manifests within the body, it gives rise to Heavenly Light Force — a unique form of energy with exceptional piercing and tearing capabilities.
Without this force, how could an Awakener, with their delicate frame and diminutive stature compared to a Giant Beast, possibly stand against such a colossal behemoth?
The emergence of Heavenly Light Force allows Awakeners to tear through the scales of mutated Giant Beasts, its power capable of penetrating their tough, resilient flesh.
However, within the Awakening Domain, Heavenly Light Force can only be deployed on the body's surface, extending slightly beyond the fists and feet.
It cannot yet be channeled into weapons.
In truth, Heavenly Light Force is a broad term encompassing numerous subtypes.
This sword manual has likely changed hands many times, its pages filled with insights, notes, and annotations from various individuals.
One individual in particular held a deep reverence for a specific Heavenly Light Force, leaving behind the lament: "I wish I could cultivate the Tathagata Energy!"
For Qin Ming, an Awakener who had honed his skills through unorthodox techniques, the descriptions and records within the manual filled him with a sense of serene longing.
Alas, while the sword manual mentioned several extraordinary and powerful Heavenly Light Forces by name, it offered no guidance on how to cultivate them.
Qin Ming fell into a trance, pondering for a long time.
Flipping further through the sword manual, Qin Ming found the content unsuitable for his current level.
He hadn't yet reached that realm.
However, among the insights left by the predecessors, he discovered a practical secret technique called "Harmonizing with the World," which could ensure his safety.
After carefully studying it, Qin Ming broke out in a cold sweat, yet felt fortunate to have found this record.
According to the predecessors, the gaze of High-Level Beings was terrifying.
They could instantly perceive the strength of other beings' life force, even in the dead of night, "seeing" their biofields, whether strong or weak.
This was terrifying.
Low-Level Beings had no secrets from High-Level Beings.
Especially when Heavenly Light emerged within an Awakener or an anomaly develops Heavenly Light within their body, it was like a series of flames burning brightly in the darkness to High-Level Beings.
"I must master this quickly!" Qin Ming wiped the cold sweat from his brow, suddenly feeling vulnerable in the mountains.
Fortunately, Harmonizing with the World was a practical secret technique, not an esoteric and difficult-to-understand ancient text.
"Contemplate emptiness and stillness, body like withered wood, heart like cold ash, conceal life force, gradually weaken, and dim the spirit and energy." Qin Ming slowly began to grasp the technique, marking his entry-level mastery.
Qin Ming sat in meditation for a long time, silently contemplating and pondering.
He gradually uncovered more secrets of Harmonizing with the World: it could conceal a portion of his life force, allowing him to blend in with ordinary people.
Moreover, this "degree" could be controlled.
After reaching a certain level of mastery, even if Heavenly Light manifested in his body after three Awakenings, he could conceal it if necessary.
Qin Ming finally exhaled deeply.
But after careful consideration, he chuckled wryly. Perhaps his sense of danger was too acute.
Even if High-Level Beings passed through this area and could instantly discern his life force's strength, they likely wouldn't care.
After all, he had only experienced one Awakening.
In the eyes of such extraordinary beings, he was just another insignificant member of the masses in the mountains.
Then he thought of Chi Xia City's elite. If they could negotiate and confront the mysterious beings in the mountains, they must possess similar abilities.
"Too much to chew on at once. I've learned enough today. I need to consolidate, master, and firmly grasp everything I've learned!" Qin Ming rose, found a secluded spot, and reburied the sword manual.
Without a doubt, he had gained immensely today.
After thoroughly studying the sword stances and integrating his own insights, his strength had improved significantly.
Qin Ming murmured, "If I were to face Fu Entao, Feng Yi'an, or others like them in battle now, I think it would be much easier."
Most importantly, the book had broadened his horizons, exposing him to knowledge he had never encountered before.
"Fu Entao isn't so bad after all. He gave me a truly valuable book."
After leaving the secluded forest, he headed toward the Blood Bamboo Forest.
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END OF CHAPTER
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